Delia Smith Stilton Soup Recipes

BROCCOLI & STILTON SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp rapeseed oil in a large saucepan and then add 1 finely chopped onion. Cook on a medium heat until soft. Add a splash of water if the onion starts to catch.
• Add 1 sliced celery stick, 1 sliced leek, 1 diced medium potato and a knob of butter. Stir until melted, then cover with a lid. Allow to sweat for 5 minutes then remove the lid.
• Pour in 1l of chicken or vegetable stock and add any chunky bits of stalk from 1 head of broccoli. Cook for 10-15 minutes until all the vegetables are soft.
• Add the rest of the roughly chopped broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Carefully transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth.
• Stir in 140g crumbled stilton, allowing a few lumps to remain. Season with black pepper and serve.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Steps:

• First separate the florets of the cauliflower from the hard stalk (this can be kept and grated for a salad). Now you need to separate the florets themselves into very tiny pieces. Then in a medium saucepan bring the stock and bay leaf to simmering point, throw in the little pieces of cauliflower and simmer for about 6 minutes, or until they are just cooked but still have some 'bite'. Lift them out with a draining spoon and keep them on one side. Pour in the milk now and add the potatoes, then simmer gently without a lid until the potatoes are soft - about 10 minutes. Next run the soup through a sieve, or liquidise it, and return it to the saucepan. Now return the cauliflower to the saucepan and reheat gently, adding a squeeze of lemon juice, some seasoning, and a scraping of nutmeg. Then stir in the cream just before serving.

STILTON AND POTATO SOUP WITH CHEESE CROUTONS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a thick-based saucepan, then add the prepared vegetables and some salt, and cook gently with the lid on for 5-10 minutes to draw out the juices.
• stir in the cornflour to absorb the juices and, when smooth, gradually pour in the cider - still stirring.
• Add the chicken or vegetable stock, cover the pan and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• Then add the milk and Stilton and re-heat, stirring, until the cheese has melted and the soup is just below boiling point.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper, then stir in the creme fraiche.
• At this stage you can purée the soup in a food processor or with a hand held blender or, if you prefer the texture of the chopped vegetables, keep it as it is.
• Serve the soup with the Parmesan croutons & the chopped chives.
• CROUTONS:.
• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F or pre-heat the grill.
• Place the bread cubes in a bowl, sprinkle in the oil, then stir them around until the bread has soaked up all the oil.
• Next add the freshly grated Parmesan, and stir again till all the bread cubes are well coated.
• Spread them out over a baking sheet and either bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, or else place them under the pre-heated grill, turning as necessary. (If you use the grill, watch them VERY CAREFULLY as they can burn very easily.).
• The croutons can be made well in advance and stored in an airtight tin for up to two weeks.

FRESH TOMATO SOUP WITH BASIL AND PARMESAN CROUTONS

Steps:

• Gently heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, then put in the onion and potato and let them soften slowly without browning. This takes 10 - 15 minutes. Now add the tomatoes, stir well, and let them cook for a minute. Pour the stock over the tomatoes, stir, season with salt and pepper and add the garlic. Cover and allow everything to simmer for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, you can make the croutons. Just place the oil and cubes of bread in a small bowl, stir them around until the oil is soaked up, then sprinkle in the Parmesan. Stir the cubes around to coat them in that as well, then spread them on a baking sheet and bake on a high shelf in the oven for 10 minutes or until they are crisp and golden (do put a kitchen timer on becuase it's so easy to forget all about them). Then allow them to cool and leave them on one side until the soup has had its cooking time. When the soup is ready, liquidise the whole lot in a blender or food processor and then pass the soup through a sieve to extract the skins and pips (if you need to blend the soup in batches, have a bowl to hand to put the first batch in). Now return the soup to the saucepan to re-heat, taste to check the seasoning and add the chopped basil. Serve with a swirl of creme fraiche, the croutons and a sprig of fresh basil. Alternatively, serve chilled.

POTATO, LEEK AND STILTON SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until softened but not browned.
• Cut the potatoes into thick slices and add to the pan with the vegetable stock and bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft. Remove from the heat.
• Stir the cream and stilton into the hot soup, then discard the bay leaves. Blend with a stick blender (or in batches in a blender), until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• Divide the soup between warmed soup bowls and sprinkle with extra Stilton and black pepper, to serve.

BROCCOLI AND STILTON SOUP

Steps:

• For the soup, place the pieces of broccoli into a glass bowl. Pour over the vegetable stock.
• Cover the bowl with cling film and place in the microwave. Cook on full power for four minutes, or until tender.
• Meanwhile, heat a frying pan until hot then add the butter. When it starts to foam, add the spring onions and cook for one minute.
• Transfer the cooked broccoli and stock to a food processor. Add the fried spring onions, Stilton and cream and blend until smooth.
• Transfer the blended mixture to a pan and bring gently to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, for the croûtons, toast the French bread under a grill until golden-brown on each side.
• Top the grilled bread with the slices of Stilton and return to the grill until golden-brown and bubbling.
• Season the soup with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
• Divide the soup equally among four warm bowls and top each with a Stilton croûton. Serve.

STILTON & CELERY SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the celery and cook gently for about 5 minutes, until softened.
• Stir in the flour and cook gently for 1 minute, stirring all the time. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk and stock. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the celery is tender.
• Gradually add the stilton and stir in until melted. Season to taste.
• Serves 4 as a main course, 6 - 8 as a starter